Truth or Dare Consequences
by stardust1173
Summary: SEQUAL TO OPERATION DARE! The game is over but is it really? Everything has consequences, even a silly little dare...
1. First Consequence

_Okay, so this is the sequal to Operation Dare: Seduce Hyuuga Neji. As the title implies, these are the consequences from everything that happened in the first story. For this story instead of dividing the chapters into days, they will be divided into consequences so some chapters may be very short (spaning only a few hours) or very long (spanning several days). Sorry It's been so long and I may not update very fast because I've had serious writters block forever but I hope you enjoy this!_

First Consequence

Look…he didn't need to touch but merely look at her. Those long honey curls spinning everywhere, the light catching emerald eyes blinking slowly with long black curved lashes accenting, and damp lips sipping away at her usual hot chocolate. He even would spend a few minutes observing the way her impatient fingers danced from the table top to her cup and back again as the minutes slipped away.

Jen sighed heavily and stopped tapping her foot against the table leg nosily. "Where are they?" She questions yet again and glares at the coffee shop door as if it were the doors fault her friends had yet to arrive.

"Why don't you just go find them?" Neji asks yet again and drinks thoughtfully from his warm cup. He couldn't figure why his girlfriend refused to just go out and find her missing friends instead of sit here and fidget for another twenty minutes, though he was enjoying the opportunity to just relax and watch her jittery actions with mild amusement.

"No, I'll just wait…" Jen huffs and turns back to her nearly empty cup of coco. She stares at it for a few moments, the biting of her lip telling Neji she was debating on whether or not to drink the rest of it now or wait. Her decision was signaled by her hand suddenly snapping out, grabbing the cup and throwing the lukewarm contents down her throat quickly.

A clatter sounded as she dropped the cup back to the table and propped her elbow on the table top to rest her chin in her hand. The calm male on the opposite side of the table's mouth twitches uncharacteristically and Jen manages to catch the movement out from the corner of her eye.

Tenten would be proud of Jen's ability to judge Neji's small spectrum of facial expressions… "What are you smiling at?" Jen frowns, that smile was not a happy smile or a smirk but something else…something closer to laughing for Neji.

Knowing his expression spotted, he snatches a napkin and wipes her mouth and nose gently, removing the cream topping she managed to get everywhere on her last drink. After he was finished she scrunched up her nose briefly and took the napkin back.

"It would have been sexier had you licked it off." A very familiar voice interrupts and the brunette sits down next to her male teammate.

"What took you so long?" Jen instantly demands as Tenten smiles. The late weapons master takes her time ordering her drink and making herself comfortable before choosing to answer the impatient girl's demand.

"I was looking for Ino and Sakura, they said they were meeting up with someone before they came by and I was curious as to who they were meeting." She explains slowly to agitate the slightly twitching blonde even further. Tenten hid her smile behind her cup as she wondered how many drinks Jen had that morning to make her so jumpy and jittery.

"So, who were they meeting?"

"I don't know, I didn't find them." Tenten smiles and Jen groans, dropping her to the table top with a thump. "You're very agitated today Jen. Getting enough sleep?"

"No."

"Neji keeping you up all night." Tenten smiles while sipping her drink. Jen slowly looks up and glares at her friend.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

"Hear what?" Sakura questions, dropping into the open space next to Jen.

"Where have you been? We've been waiting for ages!" Said girl shouts, causing Sakura to fall promptly to the floor from shock.

"Don't mind her Sakura, she's not it the best mood right now."

"Caffeine rush." Neji clarifies and Sakura smiles, nodding as she climbs up off the floor.

"Oh, that explains it."

"So where's Ino?" Tenten interrupts, finishing her drink off and leaning closer to the new arrival.

"She should be here soon." Sakura bites her lip with a small frown, the blonde had been right behind her just a minute ago…

"Hey guys!" Ino shouts, dragging a familiar ninja over to the table with her.

"What took you so long?" Jen snaps instantly.

"Good morning to you too sunshine." Ino says sarcastically and wraps an arm around the black clad male standing next to her. "I was waiting for my boyfriend to get here."

"Have a seat Kankurou." Tenten offers and scoots over some. They had all gotten used to the puppeteer being around randomly. After all, Ino and he were from different countries so they didn't get much time together but the times they were together they never left each other's sides.

"No that's okay. Ino just wanted to stop by before we go meet up with my siblings."

"Oh, so they came this time too?" Sakura tried to sound at least mildly interested while the others remained silent.

"He finally managed to convince the Kazekage he needed a small vacation."

"Sounds fun, you guys coming?" Sakura asks quickly, the look on her face showed her lack of enthusiasm and her gaze begged for the others to accompany her.

Tenten sighs and shrugs. "Might as well."

"Come on Jen." Neji says as he climbs out of his seat to follow the others.

"I'm still mad!" She insists and crosses her arms as she stands quickly.

"I know." Neji was mentally shaking his head and laughing. Jen was never one to hold a grudge, especially over something so small. But he knew it was best to just agree with her, at least until the caffeine wore off.

_As usual, constructive critizism is welcome!_


	2. Second Consequence

_Since I love you all so much and I don't know when the next chapter will be finished, here's number two! See if you can track the events from the first story that created the consequences..._

Second Consequence

"Temari!" Tenten called and the blonde turned and waved at the group walking towards her.

"About time you guys showed up!" Temari calls playfully. "Sakura,"

"Nice to see you again Temari." The cherry blossom says back.

"Neji," He nods at the Sand kunoichi simply.

"What's wrong Jen?" Temari asks upon seeing the clearly disturbed girl that was normally so calm and friendly.

"Caffeine." Neji says and pulls Jen closer as she seethes quietly.

"Where's Gaara?" Kankurou questions, looking around confused.

"You know him. He runs off without saying anything and shows up later with no explanations."

Jen had stopped paying attention to the conversation at this point. It wasn't that she wasn't happy to see the sandnin, but something was bothering her and she couldn't figure out what was wrong. And it wasn't just the caffeine. As she slipped confused eyes over their party she let out a loud conversation stopping gasp. "Has anyone seen Hinata?" Jen demands suddenly and to her dismay no one answers. Knowing there was only one other option she spins to face Neji and latches onto his shirt desperately, clearly surprising him. "Find her! Now!"

It was not often Jen ever asked him for a favor but in her stressed state he was not about to say no to the rushed request. He activates his Byakugan and quickly relays the directions a few minutes later. The group fixes gaze on Neji as Jen dashes off without another word. He merely shrugs and follows her, the rest coming along as well.

"Hinata!" Jen knew she was close but still couldn't manage to find her friend through the dense trees. "Hinata!"

"Jen to your left! Left!" Neji shouts directions as he chases after her, the others following confused.

Blonde curls snapped in the proper direction to find the blue haired girl curled up at the base of a tree, her knees pulled up as she hid her face in her hands. Taking a calming breath, Jen slowly approaches the crying girl and kneels down to her level. "Hinata…" She breaths gently.

Hinata only sobbed harder as more tears trickled from her pale eyes. "Go away…" Her voice was cracked, she had obviously been crying for a while.

By now the others were watching the scene, most of them confused. Jen took another small breath and ran her hand over Hinata's hair in a petting fashion, causing her to finally look up at her friend. "I'll not leave you here crying all by yourself." Jen said clearly, determination showing through once again. "I care about you too much."

There was only a slight pause before the mass of weeping blue hair tackled Jen into a tight hug, but it was expected and Jen smiled softly, continuing to pet her friend's hair comfortingly. No one dared to move or speak until Jen turned towards them slowly, still hugging Hinata. "Find Kiba." She whispers clearly.

Tenten, Temari, Sakura, Ino, and Kankurou leapt away instantly but Neji remained. Though he knew Jen was naturally drawn to caring for her friends (and sometimes even strangers) it wasn't often he got to see her take up the position so completely. 'She's like the mother of the group, watching out for everyone…' Unknown to the milky eyed male, a small smile curved his lips pleasantly. It was a shame Jen was to caught-up in calming her friend to notice. She loved the way he smiled.

"Come on…" Jen whispers when Hinata eventually stops crying. "Let's go see what's keeping your boyfriend." She helps Hinata to her feet and the two walk side by side back to the village.

Embarrassed, Hinata looks down at her feet as they walk. She felt so ashamed for breaking down like that but knew Jen would never let her apologize so she had to find another way to express her gratitude. "Thank you Jen-chan."

"I have to look out for you, it's what I do. Just don't do it again okay? You got a problem you come straight to me." Jen said with a teasing smile to lighten the mood.

"A-alright…" Hinata smiled and tried to keep her tears at bay. This was why Jen was such a good friend, she didn't ask too many questions but was always there to lean on. Even if she was suffering herself, Jen would toss her own pain aside to help her friends, they were all she had…

_Can you guess why Hinata is so upset?_


	3. Third Consequence

_Now we get a little light on the situation and the consequences start to pile up..._

Third Consequence

"So what happened?" Ino asked as soon as the group had reassembled, minus Hinata and Kiba who were out together somewhere.

"It's complicated. I can't believe I didn't see this coming…" Jen scolds herself while sitting down in the grass.

"What?" Tenten questions quickly.

"Do you remember the start of the dare?" Jen asks carefully, biting her thumb nail from nervousness.

"Operation Seduce Hyuuga Neji? Or Operation Sandstorm?" Ino asks. The blonde had named the dare that started her relationship with Kankurou herself, it was soon becoming a hobby.

"Would you stop calling it that?" Neji frowns while giving Ino a glare.

"The first one." Jen stated quickly to evade an argument. She never referred to the dare by its code name anymore because it made her feel guilty but only Neji knew that. "The party you guys dressed me up for?" Jen stares at the grass solemnly.

Sakura glances at Ino nervously while Tenten nods. "Yes." No one liked where this was going.

"You remember the circumstances of that party? For Hinata I mean…" Jen continued, her voice getting softer and softer.

"Wait, are you telling me…" Tenten stopped, hoping she was wrong.

"Seems a kind of deal was struck after all." Jen finishes in a whisper.

"But, Hinata and Kiba…" Ino finally understood.

"Doesn't matter, it happened after the fact." Jen shook her head lightly, wind playing in her curls.

"This is insane!" Sakura snaps suddenly, causing all gazes to shoot to her. "I'm no expert on love but I am not going to let those two get separated like this!"

"What are you going to do then?" Temari demands. She had been quiet through the entire conversation but now she felt compelled to speak up.

"I don't know, I'll think of something." Sakura snaps back and crosses her arms defensively.

"Don't bother Sakura." Jen says coolly and slowly gets to her feet. "This is something they have to deal with on their own. If they need help they know where to turn."

Neji could hear it in her voice, she really didn't like what she was saying but it was the truth in her eyes and she would stick with it no matter how much it hurt her. Jen had deemed it her job to look after their group and when she stood back it was for a good reason. But it seemed he was the only one that could see this.

"So you just want to let them suffer!?" The cherry blossom couldn't believe what Jen was saying. Jen was supposed to be the caring one of them group, what had changed?

"You're not seeing this like I am. We can't keep helping them all the time or they will never learn to deal with their problems. If we let them be, they can learn to be strong together. I'm not saying we let them suffer, just give them the chance to work it out themselves." Jen explains calmly to her frustrated friend.

Sakura didn't say anything but instead looked off to the side. She didn't mean to get so worked up but she couldn't help herself. She was just feeling left out now that their once small troop of girls was growing. It intimidated her now that only she and Tenten didn't have a boyfriend to worry about and she wasn't above admit she was scared of them all growing apart. "I'm sorry…" she finally mumbled.

"There is nothing to forgive." Jen said calmly and Sakura looked up quickly. Jen held her hand outstretched to her and a welcoming smile graced her face genuinely. Sakura sighed and nodded, taking Jen's hand.

"Right." A great weight suddenly seemed lifted from her shoulders as Sakura let her hand fall away. "So Temari, you were saying something about finding your brother earlier?" She redirected the conversation quickly.

"That's not necessary." They all knew the deep voice in an instant.

"Where did you run off to this time?" Temari asks, not actually expecting an answer from the redhead. It was typical of him to just disappear for a little while and not tell anyone what he was doing or where he was. Either that or he gave a very vague answer that held no meaning.

This time he just decided not to answer as he looked over the group, he had met all of them before but some he knew better than others. Ino was one; she had been to Suna quite a few times since she and Kankurou started dating.

"Hi." Jen greeted instantly but he just looked at her and blinked. His people skills were still not so great. 'Uh-oh, did I do something wrong?'

After a long pause filled with uncomfortable silence Neji cleared his throat and stepped up behind Jen who was fidgeting by now. "We should go, it's about lunch time."

"Oh right." Jen turned to him, happy for a distraction but felt strange about ignoring the new company so she decided to make a polite offer. "Would you like to come?"

"That's okay, we wouldn't want to intrude." Temari answers back politely. "We should get going. See you around."

"Good bye!" Jen waves happily until Neji takes her hand and the pair start back into town. "That was interesting, to meet the Kazekage so casually." Jen comments, finding the silence uncomfortable.

"Maybe for you." Neji says quickly and Jen bites her lip confused. There was something sharp in his voice she couldn't comprehend.

'What's his problem? Oh never mind…if it's important he'll tell me eventually…' She reasoned and they continued walking in silence, this time it wasn't as suffocating and Jen smiled pleasantly until their walk was interrupted.

"Neji-san!" They stopped and turned back to the one addressing him.

"What is it?"

"The Hokage requests your audience." Neji sighed and Jen let her hand slip away.

"Don't wait for me." Neji said before rushing off, not even looking back.

'So much for our picnic…' Jen thought gloomily. 'Oh well, he knows where I'll be. Maybe it won't take so long…' She thinks hopefully and continues to her apartment to fetch the food laden basket she had packed that morning.

_Sakura's temper is acting up and she's feeling a bit left out and Neji's acting strange. Just more problems to add to the growing list... Is it me or did this one seem pretty short? Oh well, the next one is almost done so it will be up in a few days._


	4. Fourth Consequence

_We join Jen at her lonely picnic of one..._

Fourth Consequence

Dark green eyes looked up at the sky but a peaceful gaze was missing, instead she looked worried and bored. 'I should start home but I don't want to yet…' She sat up from where she lay on the yellow blanket and reached her hand into the basket next to her. After a moment she retrieved the orange and knife she had been looking for and started to peal and cut the bright fruit. 'He did say not to wait. Which means he'll be mad if he shows up and I haven't eaten anything yet. But I do want to wait…' She shook her head sharply and slipped the knife across the orange again, digging down to deep and cutting into her palm. She dropped the knife and fruit in surprise but merely looked gloomily at her wound.

"Where is he?" Jen wondered out loud and clenched her fist tightly. 'I know I shouldn't worry but it's what I do. I just wish I had something to distract me…'

The deep voice was completely unexpected so Jen had to ask him to repeat what he had just said. "Are you going to clean that?" He said again and Jen glanced at her fist. Red drops were staining the blanket in a few places.

"I don't really feel like it." She admitted and looked back up at where he stood by the edge of her picnic, looking down at her with cool green eyes, red hair standing out against the clear cool sky. "Would you like to join me?" She offered, changing the subject.

She could tell he was running it through his mind on what to do and waited patiently. The more he thought about it the more he was distracting her from what was making her sad. Jen should have been surprised when he finally decided to sit with her but it didn't really strike her as strange at the moment. "Where are your brother and sister?" she asked casually.

"I don't know." He replied simply and slipped his gaze over the half full basket and few dishes already set out on the soft blanket. It was during this he felt an odd sensation and looked up to bright green eyes latched onto him, but that wasn't the strange part. "What are you smiling about?"

"I guess I'm glad you chose to sit with me." Jen shrugs and reaches to retrieve a piece of the orange that had escaped her. Drops of red followed her hand as it continued to bleed freely.

Gaara glanced at Jen then her injured hand which brought the orange piece to her mouth and reached for another section. 'Doesn't that hurt? And if she keeps bleeding like that she'll get lightheaded and probably pass out later…' He observed as she licked a bit orange juice off her finger, a dab of blood also getting on her tongue but she just retrieved another orange slice.

'Hm, it's not so tangy when mixed with blood…' Jen thought indifferently and extended her hand again. 'If Neji was here he would be so mad right now that I'm just letting myself bleed all over the place. I'll have to clean up the blanket when I get home so he won't know…' Her fingers jerked as Gaara's hand latched onto her wrist and pulled it towards him.

She didn't pull away he noted as he grabbed the end of a roll of bandages with his teeth and pulled to unravel them. Even though he never needed them, he still carried bandages as a policy, just in case. He wiped away the pooling blood in her palm and quickly started covering the gash with the wrappings. 'She has small hands…'

'His hands are soft…' Jen thought and let him finish. She was not about to argue with the Kazekage especially over something as trivial as cutting her hand. 'I'm determined and sometimes stubborn but not stupid.' She reasons and finally takes her hand back. "Thank you…"

His breath caught as she smiled. As her lips curved so easily he saw much more then happiness… inside was buried pain paired with uncertainty. It lasted too long yet not long enough. Her smile slipped to be replaced by a confused frown in which she gently bit her lower lip. He didn't say anything but just looked at her expressions, waiting for what was next.

"It feels weird… I don't know what to call you…" She said and glided her fingers over her bandaged palm thoughtfully.

He blinked carefully. 'What? What to call me?' "Just call me Gaara." He said obviously, leaning back and shifting to get more comfortable.

"Hm, Thank you Gaara." She smiled that eerie smile once more and continued laying out her picnic. Once done Jen passed him a pair of chopsticks and broke her own. "Help yourself. I made plenty." She offered and caught a slice of sushi from one of the numerous plates.

Not about to argue, Gaara broke his chopsticks and tried the first thing he could reach.

The two ate in content silence. Though Jen had never really met Gaara before she had heard a good deal about him and knew he didn't like to talk much. She was just thankful someone else was there to keep her company. 'It's depressing to have a picnic by yourself.' She thought and glanced back up at him. She was being careful not to stare but when she tried to observe him even just a little she caught herself staring. And the worse part was she knew he saw it too.

'She is very quiet. What's her name again? Jen I think… But she keeps looking at me. It's almost as if she's trying to have a conversation with her eyes instead of with her mouth. Not that I mind anyway…' He bit down and glanced up, catching her eyes.

Jen froze unwillingly. 'I wish he wouldn't look at me like that. It's so strange. And I can't tell what he's thinking at all. He's like Neji but worse!' Jen swallowed hard and tore her eyes away with great force. 'No, keeping mind off of Neji…' She inwardly shook her head and smacked herself a few times before settling back into where she was and what she was doing.

'What was that?' He frowned clearly and continued to watch her. 'That was a strange look. I'm not sure what to call that…' He broke his eyes away and continued eating slowly. She was confusing him. Much more than anyone else (excluding one Uzumaki Naruto). Not only did her smile contain so many emotions at the same time but so many thoughts rushed through her eyes in seconds. He could only wonder how complex her mind actually was to hold so much and switch tracks so fast.

Jen could feel her face getting warm. 'Don't tell me I'm blushing. Why would I be blushing?' Thankfully a distraction was presented as a shadow passed over their outdoor lunch. Jen glanced up and jumped to her feet instantly. "Neji!" She cried and slipped her arms around him quickly.

He gladly returned the gesture and set gaze on the familiar redhead. 'What's _he_ doing here?'

Jen pulled back reluctantly. "I thought you weren't going to make it. What took so long?" She questioned and sat, giving him space to kneel beside her on the ground. Gaara was taking careful note of how pure her smile was and how her eyes seemed to sparkle now, compared to before.

Neji took a steady breath and looked at her, readying to tell her why he was so late but something caught his keen eyes before he opened his mouth. Jen instantly sensed his change in attitude and slipped her bandaged hand out of sight but it was too late. He took her wrist and held it firmly, looking to her diverted eyes. "What's this?" He didn't mean to sound so angry but he was worried about her. Anytime something happened when he wasn't around he inwardly panicked but somehow projected anger instead of concern.

"It's nothing. It just slipped." Jen mumbled quickly, not wanting to look at him. It killed her when he was like this. She knew he wasn't actually mad at her, she could tell by looking in his eyes but she would rather listen to his rage then look at his worry struck eyes and see the pain she had caused.

"What slipped?" His voice was still sharp but his grip was light, almost no pressure at all. It was too much a contrast to believe he wasn't squeezing her wrist painfully, causing the wincing look on her face as she kept her eyes cast away from him.

"I-I was cutting an orange and the knife slipped…" She mumbled so softly both males had trouble hearing it. She bit her lip gently, showing her indecision until she finally looked up into perfect pools of white silk.

He had relaxed now, still cupping her wrist. His gaze was relaxed and voice calm. "You're so clumsy you know." He sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry." Jen faintly replied and bowed her head again, pink sweeping across her face in an instant.

Moments of nothing but the wind rustling the trees gave way as Jen cleared her throat and turned back to the picnic. "We're never going to finish this if we just sit here." She proclaims and picks up her chopsticks to continue eating.

Gaara sat still as Neji searched for another pair of chopsticks he knew were stashed in the basket somewhere. Emerald orbs swept over her. Something in her had changed since _he_ arrived. She was more reserved now, almost shy. She kept her gaze to herself and a blush was fastened to her pale cheeks. She blinked slowly, as if her eyes were heavy and dropped her food, chopsticks tumbling from her grip.

It was an instant reaction. His hands reached out before he could think and held her limp form up. He sat like that, frozen for a moment, no thoughts passing through his mind for the longest time.

Neji halted his search and glared at Gaara, though the redhead wasn't paying attention. It wasn't as if he hated the young Kazekage or anything, but when Jen was added to the equation, Neji couldn't help but be protective. Recovering from the unappealing scene, Neji pulled Jen's unconscious form out of Gaara's lax grip and looked down at her carefully, looking for a hint as to why she fainted.

"She lost too much blood." Gaara said as if knowing what was on Neji's mind.

The long haired male nodded shortly and stood, whisking away his girlfriend to the hospital, or Sakura, which ever he ran into first…

Cool green eyes watched as Neji carried her off quickly, abandoning the picnic and him without any visible second thoughts but Gaara didn't mind. He himself was known for just leaving without a word and he couldn't blame the Hyuuga for running off then. Gaara was tempted to lift the honey haired girl and take her to get help the second he caught her but his mind wouldn't work that fast. By the time the decision was made, Neji was already stealing her from his hands.

Gaara sighed and stood. He actually had things he should've been taking care of and now that no excuse was present he stalked away silently, thoughts filled of the short yet memorable encounter with the unfamiliar Konoha kunoichi.

_Ooooh, conflict! Now it's getting more interesting. And Neji's being possesive too. I could just giggle!_


	5. Fifth Consequence

_In here we find out what Neji was doing while Gaara was getting better aquainted with Jen._

Fifth Consequence

Neji sighed and leaned back in the chair he had pulled up next to the bed where Jen lay sleeping soundly. As chance would have it, he did run into Sakura but the pink haired girl deemed Jen fine and told him to take her home. So that's where he sat, in the quiet apartment thinking over the events of the day.

'I shouldn't have just left. I should have looked back, said I love her, something.' He thought bitterly. 'Maybe then I could have taken it better…' His mind hazed over what happened next. It turned out the Hokage had not wanted to see him and she wasn't even in her office when he showed up, it was just a ploy.

"_She's clouding your mind, making you loose focus. If you can't think properly you'll endanger the mission and your comrades… She's making you soft, weak… You'd be stronger if you let her go…"_

None of those words really struck him and it must have been obvious because it took a different turn next, and that's when it hit home.

"_Do you think this will really last? What happens when it all comes crashing down on your head or are you ignoring it? It's already started, you can see in her eyes and her smile. You're hurting her just by being there and you in turn will suffer. It would be best just to end it now and cease this meaningless circle…"_

Neji shook his head to rid the voice from his memory. 'No, he said it to hurt me. To test me. I don't believe what he said. It was all lies…' He reassured himself and focused back on Jen who was starting to stir. That smile he knew well pulled her from sleep as dimmed eyes squinted against the light.

"Hey…" Her voice was soft, hardly a whisper.

"Hey. You had me worried there for a minute." Now that she was awake he felt a bit more tension release, easing his hectic thoughts to a low simmer in the back of his mind.

"I'm sorry." Jen shifted and leaned up on her pillow. His warm hand brushed her forehead then stroked her cheek gently.

"It's okay, just a little fainting spell. I worry too much anyway." He admits and she smiles again.

"Did you clean up lunch?" She asked groggily, shifting again to get more comfortable. Neji tisked and turned his gaze to the side.

"I forgot. I'll be right back." He stood, pushing the chair back, and leaned closer to kiss her quickly. 'Never again will I wish I had kissed her good bye. From now on I will kiss her and tell her every chance.' "I love you." He mumbled and she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I love you too." Jen sighed and settled as he left the apartment, the door snapping shut behind him. It seemed a little strange for him to be acting this way, so protective. 'I wish I knew what he was thinking. Why does he feel the need to be so concerned now?' With a small huff and a fast sweep of the room Jen crawled out of bed.

Neji kicked another rock bored, hands in his pockets and head down, staring at the dirt. He knew the way without looking up and it was a good thing too because he was utterly distracted at the moment.

It was so easy to pass the hurtful words off but when he finally did storm out to go find her what he found made him turn cold. He couldn't help it, when he saw them sitting together stealing glances at each other. It made his throat tighten and pulse quicken just remembering it now. And he didn't mean to be so upset either but… 'But what? I can trust her. I know I can. So why am I doing this? Why do I act this way?'

Neji stopped. He was back there staring down at the abandoned picnic site. 'I guess there's no reason to rush. I need time to cool down and she's probably fallen back asleep by now.' Neji started stuffing items back in the basket to be sorted out later, it didn't take nearly as long as he hoped it would and all too soon the only thing left was the pale yellow blanket, it's corners curling against the wind, and splotches and smears of deep red all across one side.

He bit his lip and started folding it quickly. 'You really need to stop doing this to me... I don't know what to do.'

_I find this chapter to be very short yet sweet with a little action thrown in. sigh my favorite chapter so far even though not all to much happens._


	6. Sixth Consequence

_Chapter five was so short I desided to post this chapter as well! Yay! Chapter Seven needs some fine tuneing and I just started chapter 8... this is going by so fast it seems..._

Sixth Consequence

The loud sharp sound was impossible to ignore as Jen stumbled towards the door. "Coming, I'm coming." She called and the noise subsided. A hard jerk and the door was open, revealing the group on the other side. "Hi guys. What's up?" Jen greeted, leaning on the door slightly.

Tenten tilted her head and peered into the apartment. "Where's Neji? Sakura said he was with you."

"He was, he went to clean up the picnic." Jen shrugged and stepped back to let Tenten and Ino pass. "And I'm fine by the way." Jen smiled, holding up her bandaged hand for them to see.

"You got hurt? What happened?" Ino cried immediately.

Jen winced and scratched her head. "I thought that's why you came by." She laughed nervously, now regretting she had said anything. Thankfully Tenten changed the subject before Ino could start fussing.

"Nope, Neji's got a mission. He's supposed to leave this afternoon." Tenten crossed her arms and shook her head. "If I can find him before then."

"Oh well he shouldn't be long now." Jen plopped down on the couch.

Ino and Tenten shared a look and Ino smiled while Tenten rolled her eyes. It was evident from her posture and tone of voice that Jen was not very thrilled about Neji leaving again. He always seemed to have twice as many missions as her and they hardly ever worked together on them.

"You know Jen," Ino sat next to the sulking girl with a mischievous smirk. "Kankurou and I and some of the others are going out tonight. You could come too, get your mind of Neji instead of pouting all by your lonesome at home."

Jen frowned, debating on the proposal. She hated to admit it but Ino was right, getting out of the house would be good for a little while. "Well, okay."

Ino jumped to her feet triumphantly. "Great! We'll come pick you up at five."

"What's happening at five?" Attention was redirected to the now open apartment door. Jen opened her mouth but Ino jumped in first.

"I'm kidnapping your girlfriend and we're getting her drunk." Ino grinned and Neji dropped the basket by the door.

"Not if I have anything to do with it." He challenged. He had only once witnessed Jen drunk before and it only took that one time for him to never want a repeat of the incident.

"But you won't. You've got a mission. We leave in one hour so hurry up." Tenten said professionally and pulled Ino out of the apartment hastily. "Come on Ino let's go."

"Bye Jen-chan! See you later!" Ino managed to call whilst being dragged around by the brunette.

"Bye!" Jen replied and sat back on the couch. Her gaze slipped over to Neji who stood silent, eyes to the floor. It wasn't hard to tell he was lost in some thought, and by the look on his face it wasn't a pleasant one. "Neji?" Jen bit her lip and leaned forward, debating on getting up and going to him.

She heard him sigh as he pushed the door closed and sat next to her. "I've got a lot on my mind right now." He leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees while still looking to the floor.

"I noticed. Do you want to tell me?" Jen glided her fingers over his shoulder and down his back.

"I don't know… Not yet. I'll tell you soon but not yet."

"Okay. I'll wait." Jen shifted closer and rested her head against his shoulder.

"You really don't mind?" He question unbelievingly, finally turning his gaze to her to find that soft smile that taunted and soothed him at the same time.

"If you feel the need to hold what ever it is for a little longer who am I to convince you otherwise? You seem pretty confused about what ever is happening so it's probably a good idea to let your thoughts simmer and process a bit more before telling me anyway." She stopped her rant and met his gaze. "Am I making sense?" She asked, gently chewing on her bottom lip in a way that was almost distracting. Almost.

Neji smiled and leaned his head on hers. "It's nice to hear something that makes sense when things get confusing."

"Glad I could be of help!" Jen nuzzled into his neck, breathing deeply and feeling her body melt. "You should probably go pack for that mission." She hated her own mouth for saying it but she knew it was the truth.

"Yeah…" Neji pulled away and lifted her chin easily. Their lips sizzled on contact as their mouths moved, pushing against each other for a fight of dominance that wasn't really a fight at all. Jen always gave in, in the end. Her hand caught his neck as his wrapped around her waist and dragged her closer. As he held her close, Neji slipped his tongue in her mouth, smirking as she gasped lightly. He flicked around roughly, tasting every centimeter he could as she tried to keep up.

A loud whistling from the kitchen finally broke them apart, Jen panting slightly. "Tea pot…" She mumbled, cursing it for disturbing their would-be make-out session.

"Right. I better go." Neji stood and walked briskly towards the door and Jen disappeared into the kitchen to prepare her tea.

She clutched her hot cup and leaned against a wall. "I wonder how long it will be this time…"

_Uh oh, Neji's leaving and Ino wants to get Jen drunk. This can't end well..._


	7. Seventh Consequence

_YAY UPDATE!!_

Seventh Consequence

Jen was lying on the floor staring at the ceiling absent mindedly, going over every second he had touched her before he left some hours ago. It was then Ino burst into the somehow unlocked apartment already dressed for the outing Jen had forgotten about so easily.

Their gazes met, Ino looking irritated while Jen winced in remembrance. "Oops…" She mumbled and sat up.

"Good thing I decided to come over early." Ino sighed, knowing full well she should have expected Jen to be distant and forgetful with Neji gone on another mission. With a quick tug the blonde had Jen on her feet and stalked back to her bedroom to raid the closet. "Let's find you something to wear." Ino said in a calmer tone. A deal of patience was needed when dealing with Jen like this and since it only happened on occasion the flower girl could spare the extra time. It was like paying back all the times Jen had shown the same care and extra attention to everyone else.

Ino glanced back at Jen who was sitting on the edge of her bed gazing out a distant window. Ino shook her head and gave a light sigh, shifting over the clothes in her hands. "This will look great and you won't have to wear heels so that will be good."

Jen slowly turned back to the mind swapper and took the clothes presented to her. A light blue spaghetti-strap top matched with an extremely short pair of shorts.

To Ino's displeasure Jen shook her head, a deep set scowl forming clearly. She may be distracted and worried but not to the point she was willing to let Ino get away with this. "No way." Ino just rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on!"

"No!" Jen snapped again. "I said I would come but not as your dress up doll. I'm not wearing something this short to a bar." She stood up, nose pointed slightly upward as she brushed past a smoldering Ino and picked through the mess of clean clothes.

Ino growled inwardly. 'We bought her a new wardrobe but she refuses to wear the pieces that would look _**so**_ good on her.' Ino stopped her mental rant when Jen cried out happily and held up her find.

"This." Jen shook the white knee length skirt at Ino. "Is way more appropriate."

Ino just smiled and rolled her eyes. "If you say so." Personally Ino was dressed in a black mini skirt with a purple low cut top, on her exposed chest and legs clung black fishnet as per signature of the Yamanaka's wardrobe.

Jen cleared her throat and Ino snapped her attention back to Jen who had just finished changing. As she ran her fingers through her hair quickly Jen slipped on simple white sandals and marched out of her bedroom. But Ino was not letting Jen get away so easily.

With a quick tug, some mild complaints, and a few close brushes with beatings Ino managed to apply some gold sparkle eye shadow and clear shimmering lip gloss to Jen before they walked down stairs and out to the street.

Ino let Jen walk slightly in front of her as she scanned her friend from head to toe. It had been such a task to get Jen to dress up a bit more but with Neji's help the five managed to coax Jen out of her shell of unflattering clothes. Even Hinata had helped out.

Just as Ino was disguising her muffled laughter as coughing from remembering Jen standing outside in the cool night air wearing only her underwear the two arrived at the bar and strode inside with a second thought.

"You're here!" Sakura squealed and jumped from her stool to hug the two new arrivals.

Jen just looked around with wide eyes, wishing she had brought a jacket at the moment to cover herself up more. "Ino, you said a few people. Not every other person we know." Jen shot dangerously at the blonde who was being pulled into Kankurou's grip.

Ino giggled mischievously and waved teasingly. "Have fun Jen-chan. Go dance with someone or we could order some drinks."

"How about I go home instead?" Jen turns, just centimeters from running into the redhead who effectively snuck up on her.

"You're leaving already?"

Jen fumbled over her words, trying to recover from almost running into him so suddenly. "W-well I…"

"Was just going to sit down for a drink. Why don't you join us?" Kankurou covered quickly as four drinks materialized rapidly. Jen was just happy for a distraction at the moment and sat down willingly and took the drink handed to her, not even asking what it was as the glass touched her lips.

Gaara just continued to stand there a moment before taking a seat and picking up the drink offered to him and draining half of it in two fast swallows.

Jen caught the action from the corner of her eye and inwardly laughed. 'Guess he has a high alcohol tolerance.' She thought amusingly. 'I still can't believe Neji can't hold a single drink or even half of one for that matter! Just shows you can never tell with people.'

Jen's mind snapped back to the noisy bar and focused on Kankurou instantly. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I asked if you wanted another drink." He smiled. Ino had disappeared while Jen had been distracted. Instead of straining her voice over the loud din of the bar Jen simply nodded and found no less than six shots laid out before her. At first she was socked and hesitant but a smirk broke out across her face as she downed the first with relish.

Kankurou laughed and downed one of his shots next. "Oh this is going to be fun." He said with an ominous tone but Jen just reached for her next glass and held it up to the dim light.

"You have no idea." Jen took a bit more time in her next drink, sighing as she tapped the glass upside down on the counter loudly. From Jen's other side Gaara watched with interest. This girl was surprising him more and more the longer he was around her and he could only guess what would happen when the honey haired kunoichi slipped to drunkenness. He was in for such a surprise…

_Heh heh, see you next time!_


	8. Eighth Consequence

_The long awaited next chapter! Not a lot of stuff in this one but please enjoy. I promise the main plot line comes back in the next chapter!! I PROMISE!!_

Eighth Consequence

Blue eyes cracked open barely and Jen groaned achingly, distant mind cranking away at what happened the previous night. "Ow…" She repeated and started to sit up to get a better look around. "OW!" She flinched and rubbed the top of her head which she just bashed on the underside of the table she had been sleeping under. Giving up because of the nearly blinding pain, Jen lay back down and moaned again.

"Ready to go home yet?" A familiar voice asked but she couldn't pinpoint it with her head throbbing like that.

"Home?" She slowly raised her head and jumped upon seeing the person crouched down to peer under the table at her. "Gaara!"

He frowned and eyed her over carefully before deciding to speak. "You and Kankurou had a drinking contest. He ran off with Ino and Temari figured we should rescue you before someone kidnapped you."

"Rescue? _**Kidnap**_? Where am I!?" Jen rubbed her face roughly, wishing the memories to come back and her pulsing ache to mend.

"The kitchen." He replied simply, as if stating the obvious.

"Gaara stop staring at her. It's not going to make her wake up any sooner." Temari sighed, striding across the kitchen briskly and stopping over at the counter to refill her tea. The desert bloom turned back to find Jen's head poking out from under the table, looking towards the ceiling.

"Um, hi. Thanks for rescuing me." Jen tried to say as surely as she could but there must have been some doubt on her face because Temari set down her cup and leaned over the hung-over girl.

"Are you okay?" Temari raised an eyebrow and eyed Jen head to toe. It was a bit hard to believe this was the same girl she encountered last night. The change was just too great for it to be the same person.

Jen looked down at herself, glancing at Gaara as well, before settling her gaze back on Temari. "I don't think I can get up right now." Jen admitted, a slight blush of embarrassment coming to her cheeks.

"That's okay. Sakura called, she said Neji would be by to pick you up in a few-" A harsh banging from elsewhere made Temari sigh and stand up. "That would be him." She smiled and exited the spacious kitchen to go open the door.

Jen breathed deeply, closing her eyes briefly in attempt to push the pain aside for when Neji stomped into the tiled room and found her sprawled under a table. Which he surely did as soon as Temari told him where Jen was recovering from her self induced alcoholic coma.

She heard him stop and could feel him looking down at her but didn't want to open her eyes just yet. She wasn't prepared to face him yet. With a few steady breaths she opened her eyes and smiled up at her boyfriend cheerily. "Hi."

He just continued to look down at her, an indeterminable look across his face as he stood ridged. "Hi." He said back but with much less enthusiasm. "Care to tell me why you were sleeping under the kitchen table in someone else's apartment at one in the afternoon?"

"They rescued me?" Jen answered, not sure if that was the answer he was looking for or not. It was hard to tell with such an open ended question, and having a hangover wasn't helping her thought process either.

Neji nodded slowly, her answer was just confirmation of what he already knew. She had gotten very dangerously drunk the previous night. "Do you remember how you got there?" He asked, managing to keep his voice calm and non-threatening.

Jen bit her lip, glanced away for a few seconds then regained eye contact and shook her head, rolling it across the cold tile floor. "Nope, I was drunk."

"Okay, let's get you home then." Neji sighs, pulling her limp form up easily and picking her up since she couldn't seem to stand yet.

"Ow, ow, ow! Slowly." Jen whined as her skull threatened to burst, tears of pain forming in her half closed eyes.

Seemingly ignoring Jen's protests, Neji readjusted his grip to make sure Jen was not about to fall and nodded at Temari. "Thank you for making sure she was alright."

"It was nothing. As long as I never have to witness that again in my entire life." Temari followed as the dark haired male stepped slowly towards the door.

He shook his head with a scowl. "I still can't figure out why Ino wants to repeatedly get her in that state in **public**."

"Probably to distract everyone from what _she_ is doing." Temari chuckled to herself and the two exchanged nods before departing.

Temari closed the door and leaned against it as Gaara reentered the room. "You didn't tell him what happened." He points out clearly.

"By the sounds of it he already knows." Temari shrugged and went to retrieve her tea. This left Gaara to continue mulling over the past few interesting days and the even more interesting girl who had just been carried off again.

Jen clutched her head and sobbed pathetically. "Why does it have to be so bright out here?"

"They call that sun shine." Neji says sarcastically and Jen glares at him.

"I know what it is, but why does it have to be so _sunny_." She spits, hissing and covering her face from the sunlight.

"Because the world hates you." Neji rolls his eyes. She was impossible to deal with like this so he wasn't even going to try.

"I knew it!" Jen cried and pointed towards the sky but her sudden burst of energy subsided as her skull erupted in a spike of pain. "Ow… I think I'm gonna crawl under my bed and eat some pain killers today."

"You brought this on yourself." Neji reminds her and shifts his grip.

"I couldn't help it. I had one to relax but then it just kept going. And then me and Kankurou got in a drinking contest…" Jen starts rambling off all the events she could remember from the bar.

'Ah, so that's who I'm killing today.' Neji thinks and Jen pokes him on the shoulder gently.

"Are you listening?" She asks skeptically and he nods.

"Yes. Did you figure out why Hinata wasn't drinking anything?" Neji inquires about the conversation with Hinata she had just been talking about.

"She said something but the bar was getting loud and she wouldn't speak up. And that's the last thing I remember…" Jen sighs heavily.

"So you're going to be pretty much useless today then." Neji shifts his grip, purposely jostling her so her head throbbed again.

Jen groans weakly and nods her head slowly. "I wasn't planning on doing anything in the first place. Take a nice long shower, eat some pain relievers, curse Ino for taking me in the first place, crawl into bed, and I'll see you all tomorrow." Jen sighs and closes her eyes. "Gives you more time to train."

"That doesn't make it alright." Neji huffs. He was very tempted to tell her of the terrifying things she did when drunk but couldn't bring himself to tell her. As it were, Jen remained clueless to her disturbing behavior. Just imagining the things she could have done that night while he was away…it made him want to punch something really, really hard.

"Last I checked, _I _was the one with the hangover. Not you. So stop complaining." Jen points out sternly. Why should he be so concerned anyway when she was the one suffering the consequences? And just because she had a hangover didn't mean she was going to ignore his behavior.

He doesn't answer but unlocks her apartment with his spare key and helps her inside. "If you keep doing this every time I leave, I might have to cut back my missions." He threatens as they stumble to Jen's bedroom.

"Don't say that. It makes me feel guilty…and nauseous." She moans and grips her stomach.

"That's the hangover talking I believe. I'll bring you a treat tomorrow morning." Neji detours to the bathroom and ties her hair back for her. Jen sways but remains standing and turns back towards him smiling.

"Just the words I want to hear before I go to sleep." She laughs and wraps her arms around his neck, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. She pulls back and notes the strange expression on his face. "What?" Jen asks and Neji frowns.

"You still taste like alcohol."

_I was very tempted to tell you what Jen does while drunk but decided to keep you in the dark. It might come out later on though. Neji's back! Yay! He doesn't seem very happy though... poor Neji..._


	9. Chapter 9

The mop of curly brown hair didn't even bother to roll over, but reached a hand out and swatted the noisy object ringing on her bedside table. It clattered to the floor noisily but at least the ringing had stopped. As she pulled the covers over her face Jen could hear the muffled voice calling from the other end of the phone. "Jen-chan? Are you there? Hello?"  
Jen jumped to her feet and snatched up the phone but dropped it again. "Damn! He-hello?" She held it too her ear tightly. "Hinata? Are you there?"  
A mumbled "yes" echoed back to her and Jen sighed, stretching and stalking to the kitchen.  
"Ah, sorry about that. I was sleeping. What is it?" Jen turned on the stove and checked to make sure the kettle had water in it before plopping down on her couch to wait.  
"Well…I…Y-you see…um…" Hinata stuttered. Jen rolled her eyes and shook her head with a soft smile but waited patiently. "I w-wanted to, to talk to you about t-the other n-night…at the b-bar."  
"Oh yeah. You were trying to tell me something but I couldn't hear you." Jen nods and runs her fingers through her hair in a vain attempt to tame the tangled strands.  
"W-well…if you're not busy I mean, d-do you think maybe…if it's not too much trouble…could you meet me outside the Academy?"  
"Of course! I'll be there in…ten minutes." Jen checks her clock and smiles.  
"Thank you Jen-chan."  
"No problem Hinata. Bye!" Jen waited for her to hang up and sighed deeply. "Ah, recovery complete! No hangover, no headache, no worries." She laughs at herself and saunters back to her room to replace the phone and pull on some decent clothes.  
"I took a shower last night so I don't have to take one now…Ah! Water's boiling!" She mumbles to her self and heads towards the kitchen but stops half way when a loud knock echoes off her door.  
Jen shakes her head and abandons the kettle to check the door. "Hello?" She pulls open the door and practically tackles him in a tight hug. "Good Morning Neji!" Jen smiles.  
"Don't sound so surprised. I said I'd come over didn't I?" He shakes his head and walks into the apartment, her arms still locked around his neck so she was dragged along as well.  
"Yes, I remember. But you have such poor timing… Hinata asked me to meet her so I have to leave. Catch me later and I'll make it up to you?" Jen pulls back and runs her fingers through her hair again while darting around him and out the door.  
"Wait Jen!" He calls as she sprints down the hall.  
"What is it?" She skids to a stop and yells back.  
"You left the kettle on." Neji motions towards the kitchen where the high pitched whistling was still emitting from.  
Jen sighs, hanging her head and stalking back down the hallway. Passing him with her head down in slight embarrassment she slips the kettle off the hot burner and tries to take off back down the hall.  
Watching her, Neji anticipated the sudden dash and whipped out his arm to catch her. "You forgot something else too." He whispers, forcing her to look up at him questioningly.  
"And what would that be?" She inquires, not recalling any detail to help her guess what it could be.  
He leans down and fits his lips over hers perfectly in a soft kiss. "Oh yeah…that." She smiles.

The blue haired girl clasped her hands together tightly and bit her shaking lip. It had taken an ocean of courage to finally admit the truth to Jen but now with out a single drop left Hinata was sure she would drop dead any second.  
"Hinata!" Jen calls happily and stalks up to the stammering kunoichi. "Is everything alright? You look terrified." Jen eyes her friend strangely. Yes in her youth Hinata was well known for her shy, reserved attitude but in the past few years she had become more out going so this was now a strange state for the Hyuuga heiress.  
"W-well…you s-see…I-I…I…I'm…" Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clenching her fists until her nails dug into her palm painfully.

Neji jumped up off the couch as Jen slammed the door open and stormed into the apartment talking so fast no one could have possibly understood her. Neji calmly walked over to her and grabbed both her shoulders. "Breathe." He ordered and Jen finally stopped for a breath, slowing down enough to explain her story.  
"I told you I was going to see Hinata and she was nervous, like she used to be years ago so I asked her what was wrong and she told me…I still can't believe it! Your uncle is going to be SO pissed! Poor Hinata…"  
"Jen, what is going on?" Neji asks directly as she skirts around the subject.  
The honey haired girl takes another slow breath and whispers deathly quiet. "Hinata's pregnant."  
"Oh." Neji comments shortly and goes to sit back down. Jen blinks, shakes her head and stares at him. She must have missed something, there was no way he could be so indifferent.  
"Oh? That's it?" She demands, fist planted to her hip in a dangerous pose. "That's all you have to say?"  
"What do you want me to say?" Neji asks, she was obviously more interested in this subject then he was.  
"Oh, never mind." She huffs and stomps to the kitchen where the echoing banging of pots and pans continues for a good ten minutes.  
Sighing Neji peers into the small kitchen to find Jen attempting to make something but her movements were all very violent and she was getting batter everywhere. "Jen…"  
"I'm busy!" She snaps.  
"Jen don't ignore me." Neji frowns, leaning against the doorway.  
"I'm not ignoring you! I'm just mad okay?" She growls like a rabid dog and starts hacking up a block of chocolate with the largest knife she owned.  
"Talk to me."  
"I am talking to you."  
"Why are you mad?"  
"Because you're being an idiot! I thought maybe you'd have more sense then-" She jumps as she cuts her finger and turns to the sink but he grabs her wrist and holds it tightly.  
"And how am I being such an idiot?"  
"No." Jen turns her nose up and looks away from him. "If you can't figure it out I'm not going to tell you." She declares and tries to pull away but it wasn't any use. Both knew she couldn't break his grip. Jen huffs, she was getting no where and her childish anger had no affect on him. "You remember a few days ago when I asked you to find Hinata?" She stops trying to get away and instead tries to lead him to her thought process.  
"Yes…" He recalls instantly, it wasn't that long ago.  
"You remember the conversation afterwards?" Jen continues, watching his face carefully.  
It was like being stabbed with a blade of ice. 'I'm such an idiot.' Neji bites his tongue a moment then responds. "…yes…"  
Jen nods, her serious attitude flaring up once more. "She came to me for help so that's what I'll do. Whether you help or not, I don't care." Jen claims and waits for his decision with a stern glare, though inside she was on the verge of tears. 'Please…' She prayed desperately.  
Neji sighed and turned on the sink, carefully washing her hand. "Jen…of course I'll help."  
"You will?" She brightened instantly, revealing how truly worried she was.  
Neji nods and produces some bandages. "I know your character. You are always looking out for your friends. It's what you live for. If we are going to be together I'll have to get used to it." He looks back up at her, that smile she loved graced his features perfectly.  
Jen sighed happily. "Sometimes I think I'm the luckiest girl in the world."  
Neji's smile switched to a smirk and he turned back to the mess across the counter. "So what were you doing in here?"  
"Attempting to make a cake." Jen laughs at herself and starts cleaning up.  
"Oh…" Neji inwardly hits himself. 'Stupid, that was a bit obvious.'  
"Here," Jen passes him the knife she cut herself on and points to the cutting board. "Cut that up for me and I'll explain the plan. First…"


End file.
